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About The Henry County weekly. (McDonough, GA.) 18??-1934 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 1907)
HENRY COUNTY WEEKLY. J. A. FOUCHE, Publisher. R. L. JOHNSON, Editor. Entered at the poßtofflce at McDon ough as second class mail matter. Advertising Rates: SI.OO per lneli per month. Reduction on standini contracts by special agreement. A Wyoming girl rode 300 miles on horseback to be married, passing through three states. The man that got that girl, observes the New York American, should consider himself more to be envied than kings. % The United States senator who tried to suppress the peanut eating gallery gods is going up against a national problem beside which the regulation of the railroads is child’s play, warns the Atlanta Constitution. There are alternatives to all foods — to meat., to eggs and even in a degree to milk. More fish and vegetables may be used when the prices of meats seem unduly high, declares the New York Mail. People vary their diet from season to season to meet the abund ance or scarcity due to nature. They can and should do the same things, ant. if by combination so much the be'tcr, to meet prices made artificially high- A - ,v rs and artists who suffer from ffsrrc .ladings unfavorable to creative ac:iv;-y are respectfully referred by the New York Evening Post, to the case of the Vermont cashier, who, while in prison for embezzlement, wrote a book in his own defence com piled and published “a volume of laws relating to the duties of police offi cers, sheriffs and court officials,” us£d the proceeds of these books to pay the costs of a divorce suit ‘‘which he pros ecuted successfully from his cell,” and has written a play. Some old-fashioned customs, that were extremely pleasant, have seem ingly passed away—at least in the ci ties, laments the Indianapolis News. Who hnu heard the hospitable expres sion, "Take off your hat and stay a while,” of recent years? Or who goes to the house of a friend to spend the day? What caller is invited to "lay aside your wraps,” or how many young people go to the homes of others to "stay all night?” The idea of asking any one to take off a hat and stay for a call of extended length seldom or never enters the mind of the tem porary hostess. The caller would doubtless make an excuse for so doing, If she were invited. This is probably one of the results of the hurried life of modern times. According to a circular issued by the census bureau, congress recently authorized the director of the census to publish during the present fiscal year the names of heads of families and accompanying information, shown on such schedules of the census of 1790 as are in existence. • The states of which such record, notes the New Or leans Picayune, were made are Con necticut, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia. A complete set of the schedules for each state, with a summary for the counties, and In many cases for towns, was filed in the state department, but unfortunate ly they are not now complete, the re turns for the states of Delaware and Virginia having been destroyed when the British burned the capitol at Washington during the War of 1812. The records which remain, however, are to be published, and they may oe obtained from the uirector of the cen sus. Those which were not destroyed will be published by the census bur eau, and may be had by individuals for the price of one dollar for aach state. In this way it will be possible to know something about the condi • ton of the “First Families” of our re puui?, and we may be able to dis cover whether we have any connection cr not with the nobility of the moth er country. Genius has a lot of trouble trying to explain itself to the other kind of people. V W. By WALTER BESANT. CHAPTER IX. 3 Continued. "Katherine,” said Lily, when they were in the street once more, "there is something wrong about that man. lie has done something. He can’t look you in the face, and he turned red and pale and all colors at once; and why did he keep winking with both eyes?” “I believe that Tom and he were noi exactly friends. But he said he would made inquiries.” “He certainly said he would, whethei he means to or not; but why sliouldn’i <ie." lie will ot-jiu in a bill for his ser vices, I suppose.' Katherine, if I wm you I would put in that advertisemeni as soon as there was money to spare for it.” But of money, alas! there was none. When the girls were gone, James sai down with a perturbed eountenanct and an unquiet heart. He had n< longer any desire to sleep. Presently he rang the bell, and one ol the old clerks answered it. “I want,” lie said, pretending tc search among the papers, “to find the last receipt for an annuity which my uncle used to pay to Captain Harry Willoughby, who appears to have died about six months ago.” The clerk brought the book with all the receipts. “This is his signature, is it? Very good. The last, dated January, of the present year. Yes. Do you remembei Captain Willoughby?” “Very well, sir.” “Where did he live?” “I do not know. He came here once a quarter and drew his money.” “Thank you—that will do.” The signature of the receipt eorre sponded exactly with the writing ol the torn letter. There was now noi the least room for doubt. This girl— Tom's fiancee—was the heiress of the trust money. It was his duty—it was his clear and certain duty—to give up the whole of it. It was no longer pos sible to juggle with words and to gloss over things; the heiress was found—he had to give up the whole of that trust money to Hie girl. What a terrible hole it would make in his income! There was no other way out of it. As for what he had already doue, courts of justice might take a harsh view of that; but it was honesty itself com pared with keeping the property now that he had found the heiress. She must have been led. he thought, to his office by the dead hand of Tom him self. James Rolfe was not a supersti tious person, but be had read novels, and be knew very well that dead peo ple do constantly visit evil-doers with curses and bring trouble upon them, especially when they have dealt wick edly with wards. Yet, he thought, being a man of this generation, and therefore little afraid of dead hands, what harm could a dead man's hand do to him compared with what he would do to himself if he gave up the property. And In what words should he explain to Harriet? And how would that dear creature re gard the loss of three-fourths of her income and a return to the old life? He put the torn scrap of writing in the safe along efith the old letter from Miss Willoughby, the only evidence of the trust; and then, though it was only half past three, he took his hat and walked out of the office. He could no longer sit there. When he was gone, some of the former rest and calm re turned. The visit of the young ladies had brought no work. The two old clerks began to doze again. But the boy, disturbed by the appearance of youth and beauty, and no longer able to sleep, read a penny novelette. In the evening, James argued out the whole thing with himself over some stimulant and a pipe. He was no worse off. he assured him self. than he had been before the young lady turned up. He knew, to be sure, who the heiress was; he was not obliged, however, to know; there was nothing formally and legally to connect Miss Capel with the daughter of Cap tain Willoughby. What did it matter that he himself knew the fact, provid ed that he kept it to himself? No one could possibly find out that he knew it. But oh! what a difference thci*> would have been if Tom had known it before he went away! He had promised Tom to give her all that was left after the trust was paid. A ridiculous promise extorted at a moment when his mind was not in the usual judicious balance. Ridicul ous indeed! But no one knew it except Tom. Yet he though it would be well to keep the promise to a limit ed extent. He might give her all the money that was in Tom's name in the bank when he went away. How much was it? Thirty pounds or so. He would send —and tnen he laughed, re membering a most r markable occur rence. He bad quite forgotten to ask the lady her address. Therefore he could not send her anything. Nor could he do anything at all. It was midnight. He sat in the li brary, which was perfectly quiet, be cause it was the back of the bouse, and everybody was gone to bed. Sud denly—no man was more free from su perstition than James Rolfe—he fell a horrid tremor seize all his limbs, and cold dews stood upon bis forehead. It seemed as if Tom himself—his dead cousin Tom—stood beside him. invisible but audible, hurling reproaches at him. calling him “Cur, Liar, Thief, Blackguard,” and similar ungentle manly names—taking, in fact, a mean advantage of his ghostliness. He also [threatened vengeance in some unde fined manner, which made James feel .just as uncomfortable as Moab or Ascalon might have felt when it was reported in the Bazaar that a Prophet had been predicting woe for its people. James seized the decanter. When he went upstairs, some time after, he awoke his wife—who was sweetly dreaming that she was going to live forever, always young and al ways beautiful, with silk dresses trimmed with lace, and every night a |stall at the theatre—by banging bis jcliin against the sharp edge of the coal ■scuttle. This is enough to make a most pious man awake his wife. “Good gracious, James,” she cried, “what is the matter? Can't you turn | up the gas?” He replied somewhat thickly, rub bing the injured part: “It’s—it’s Tom’s dead hand, my dear.” i CHAPTER X. Tiie Last Shilling. The two girls sat together on Kath arine’s bed. Spread out in Lily’s lap was all the money that was left—twen ty two shillings and sixpence in silver. [The little heap meant a fortnight's [support. I “Let me reckon up,” said Katharine. “You are so stupid at figures, you poor thing. There’s three and sixpence for bed and one ami nine for breakfast; that makes five shillings and three pence pach.” She set aside ten shillings jand sixpence: “There—that is one week; there is left twelve slhiliugs [for the next week.” “But there must be washing. Kath arine; and, oh! how can we live on a few slices of bread and butter taken in the morning?” “When the money is all gone, where is the bread and butter to come from, Lily?” “Where indeed?” “It is all my fault Katharine,” Lily burst out. “I have been eating up your money—oh! I will run away and leave you. at least to have all that is left.” “Don’t, Lily. We are all alone; let us keep together, whatever happens, Lily let us only keep together. Let us say to each other that we are not quite alone in the world.” “What can we do?- Oh! what can we do?” "I do not know. There are too many bf us. Lily. There is not enough work jfor all, and somehow we do not seem to get even our share of what there is. Let us have patience. Tut away the money, dear. There is a whole fort jnight before us. Let us try every where. It isn't so hot now.” “No. But it will get cold soon, and then—why—Katharine”—she laughed bitterly—“with no work to do, no money for lodgings and food, and no clothes fit for winter, I do not think we shall lie the two happiest and merriest and most light-hearted girls in all the world.” She laughed again, but hys terically. “We will go about hand in hand, up and down the streets, laugh ing and singing. We will go to church to join in the hymns of thanksgiving. Everybody will wonder to see such a happy pair.” “Don't. Lily.” “I must. Sometimes I must speak. Oh! I must, when I think what has happened to you and me, and what happens to other girls. Somewhere or other there are your cousins and mine, sitting in ease and comfort, talking about their parties and their lovers, while you and I are looking forward to starvation. What have we done that we should be punished in this awful way? I say, Katharine—what have we done? What have we done? This was the question which she asked herself continually. She sprung to her feet and rushed to the window and threw it open. The cold autumn air blew upon her fore head. Above the chimneys and the roofs and the stars in the clear sky there shone the calm, cold moon, full and bright. “Oh!” she cried, “I am full of dread-'* ful thoughts—of things horrible and detestable. We have done no harm to anybody, though we may have had bad thoughts. Why are we so hor ribly punished?” “Don’t Lily—what is the good of ask ing?” “I must ask. I have prayejl—oh! I have*prayed for hours in the night, I have torn my heart out with prayers. Is it wicked to pray for work and food? Why, there are thousands of wicked women who have plenty of food every day and no anxiety. Is there any such thing as wickedness?” “Don’t Lily.” It was all that she could cay. “The heavens are silent. Look; there is the cold face of the moon. There is no care or trouble in it about us. Tray —Katharine—pray, like me, till you feel as if your words were echoed back from the hard and senseless rocks. Oil! why were we born? Why are we allowed to live?” She gasped and panted because of the thought that kept coming again and again. “We are not obliged to live,” she went on. “Katharine. lam full of the most dreadful thoughts. It must he because we have so little to eat, I sup pose, and because the future is sf black. Horrible phantoms fill my brain, asleep or awake. I can’t tell von what they say to me.” “Let us pray again. We shall get, for answer, patience and resignation.” Lily threw herself upon the bed, her [face in her hands. But Katharine knelt beside her and prayed for both. In a fortnight a great deal may he done if you have luck. Alas! these girls had none. In October the people, jit is true, have all come back, but the jwork has all been given out. At the Museum, Katharine, a newcomer, was [known to few; and there was very little work going at all. Outside, there seemed no situations vacant; even the cashier’s place in the draper’s shop at [seven and sixpence a week whs filled tup—yet how readily now would they [have taken that place. They read ail the advertisements and applied at all the offices; but there was nothing. Then for a week they lived on the [breakfast bread and butter! and in the [evenings they sat silent, always hand in hand, in Katharine’s cubicle, wait ing for the day when there should be [no more money, hungry, foot sore, and heart sore. And in the night there came the dreadful dreams which tor ture those who are insufficiently fed. There came at last one evening—it was Friday evening—when there was jno money, except a silver shilling. [Saturday morning is that on which [the residents of Harley House pay in [advance for the next week. If they lean not pay they must go. The rule is imperative. If the Matron were to [break that rule in favor of any resident jslie must pay the money herself in ad jvance. There is no suspension of that ,rule allowed under any excuse what ever. To suspend the rule would con vert Harley House into a charitable institution, which, as is proudly stated ;in the prospectus, is not its character. Therefore the two gilds would have to go. I think that the committee, had they known the facts in the case, would have relaxed that rule, or even [paid a week or two in advance them selves for these two girls. By this time they had suffered so much that they spoke but little of their sorrows. They sat together and wait ed in silence. Next day they would not [even have a bed to lie upon or a place where they could sit apart from the rest of the world. What wquld it be like? I think that even in facing the most terrible suffering there is some thing that consoles in the curiosity of wondering what it will be like. There is nothing in which people [differ more than in the way. they take disaster. Most of us are distinctly “worsened” by misfortune, particular ly in youth. Of these two girls, one at least, the girl with the splendid physique, born for the enjoyment o? her youth, took punishment in the most [rebellious way in the world. The more she was chastened the less was [she resigned, until, in these days of [the direst calamity, she was maddened (With the sense of undeserved suffer ing. What had they done? Well, they had had fathers: Katharine found that [explanation of their troubles long ago. [lt really explains a great deal of bu [man suffering, although two of the Prophets disagree about it. Katharine endured in silence, and put no qfles ition to the silent heavens. Things that are ordered must be endured. Down stairs, in the drawing room, the residents were talking of them. Ladies who go in hunger are very slow to speak of their own sufferings, but they are quick to perceive the privations undergone by others. | “They have not taken tea for a fort night.” said Miss Beatrice; “the Ma tron told me so.” “Katharine Capel has sold her en gagement ring,” said another. “Noth ing but the most dreadful necessity would compel her to do that.” “They have pawned all their clothes except what they stand in,” said an other. “They have tramped over the whole of London and they have found noth ing.” “And they have no friends at all. Neither of them has any friends or any relations that knows of.” Then there was a murmuring among each other. and presently Miss Beatrice went round with a pencil and a bit of paper and whispered with each. i It was Lily who really understood what their future meant; at least she [thought she did. and she began to draw a realistic picture of what was going to happen. It was almost worthy of [the great Master of the Horrible and [the Disgusting. Over a great part of it I have dropped a veil, i “To-morrow,” site said, “we shall be gin to starve. We may. If we are for tunate, catch cold and die quickly of pneumonia or bronchitis. That is to say, you may. As for me, I never catch anything because I am so strong. We have got a shilling; we shall use up in penny loaves; I don’t know how long it will last, because I am not going to keep any account of time. What does it matter whether we starve in a week or in a fortnight? The sooner ’tis over the sooner to sleep. Because starving, you see, Katharine, is a very slow and troublesome way of dying. We shall wander about till we are obliged to sit down, and the police man will order us to move on. Then we shall feel very weak, as well as very tired, and we shall stagger as we go, and tumble down, and they will carry us to the station, and say that we are drunk.” “Don’t. Lily.” But she went on Tt scorned to con sole her, or it fed her rage, to picture the very worst that could happen. (To be continued.) Rritatn’s Railroad Men. The railways companies of England and Wales employ between them 312,- ,000 men. The Scottish and Irish companies employ 40,000 men between them. THIS BABY IN GOOD LUCK. New Found Friend Sends Check of $30,- 000 for Privilege of Name. The family of Mr. Homer Powell, of Cordele, Ga., a hard-working and re spected carpenter and brickmason, a few days ago, received a check from a wealthy New York lady for the sum of $30,000 for their youngest child, who is only a few weeks old. check was from Mrs. J. R. McKay of Cuba, N. Y. Mrs. McKay was returning to her home, after spending tne winter in Florida, when she missed connection and was obliged to lay over a short while in Cordele, and oy accident was thrown with this family. When she heard of the birth of this child she asked permission to name it, which was granted her. The letter, when received, bore the name of the child, James “Edward Pow ell. This letter contained the check for $30,000, drawing 4 per cent to be paid anually, and when the infant is 21 years of age the entire amount will be paid to him for his own use. THOUGHT EARTHQUAKE HAD COME. Powder Explosion Near San Francisco Caused Panic in the City. An explosion occurred at the Du pont de Nemour powder works near Oakland, Cal., Saturday, in which two persons were killed. The loss to the plant is $50,000. When the 3,000 employes of the Cal ifornia Fruit Canners’ association, who work in the big establishment of the company in San Francisco, felt the shock they thought it was an earth quake, and rushed into the streets. During the stamped* a number of per sons, men aid women, were thrown down aad badly trampled. BABY SNATCHED BY A TORNADO. Little One Was Carried Nearly Quarter of Mile and Mangled. A tornado struck the town of Wocds field and Newcastle, Ohio, Monday, wrecking a number of buildings and doing other damage. The home of Sam uel Bartemus, near Woodsfield, was entirely destroyed and a two-year-old child killed. Th? child was torn from its mother’s arms, ana carried nearly a quarter of a mile. NEW ASYLUM SUPERINTENDENT. Dr. Jones Succeeds Late Dr. Powell at Georgia State Sanitarium. Dr. M. M. Jones, who has been con nected with the institution for a num ber of years as second assistant phy sician, was elected by the trustees on Thursday as superintendent of Geor gia state sanitarium at to succeed the late Dr. T. O. Powell. TO CONFER ON WAGE SCALE Mill Owners and Operatives in Fall River Will Hold a Meeting. An important meeting of cotton man ufacturers and operatives will be held in Fall River, Mass., to endeavor to settle a difference which has arisen. The operatives demanded a fixed stan dard of length of every piece of goods woven as a basis for wages.
